Weekend Update
Yesterday, a Rwandan gentleman named Jean-Baptiste looked at me and asked, “Can you run?” Next thing you know we’re sprinting down several hills and through a village in hopes of catching a bus that would keep us from spending the night out in the middle of nowhere. Picture Jean-Baptiste giving high-fives to all the children we ran past while I was running alongside him with a hiking pack full of a weekend’s worth of gear. By the time we made it to the village, we had a trail of followers and everyone was staring. Fortunately, we arrived at the village bus stop in just enough time to wait almost 2 hours for a bus to actually arrive.
That was just one leg of the weekend that Heather and I spent traveling on our own to and from Nyungwe Forest, a rainforest surrounded by tea plantations. It was a crazy few days. Between getting lost several times and spending a lot of time praying that one of the many passing buses would pick us up, we got in some great hiking, made new friends from all over the world, and took in some of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen. Rwanda is a gorgeous creation, and it’s people are a blessing. I’m not sure what we would have done if not for the kindness of strangers pointing us in the right direction or communicating for us when necessary.
These are a few highlights from the trip that I quickly pulled straight from my camera. I’ll write more about our adventures later and share plenty more pictures, but for now these will have to tide you over.
Nyungwe Forest
The Canopy Walk
Kids from the village waiting with us to catch a bus.
Heather passes out candy, therefore, children love her.
Kitabi Tea Plantation
You know you wanna come visit now!